BigBubba

Maybe an old Porsche or something??? Must be something fairly high performance, given the bucket and the adjustable bolster.

Hi Folks, due to a change of plans i'm selling a brand new, unused heavy duty 4 link kit. Comes complete with reinforced body boxes, 4 fully welded bars, big bushes (LandRover), big Aurora rose joints, and all the necessary nuts and bolts to fit them. It's the kit from Motorsport Tools (RIX Engineering). Nice quality kit, not the usual lightweight rubbish where the link bars bend like bananas!! RRP £280 plus p&p I'm looking for £230 plus postage. No silly offers please, already £50 down and this is brand new so worth every penny. Collection welcome, from Fife, Scotland. Thanks, G.

If you're knowledge is novice at best, I certainly wouldn't be considering major chassis changes. As stated, an Escort body has been grafted onto an Impreza floor pan, but by professionally trained personnel. If not done 100% correct, you'd be driving a potential death trap. If you want to go modern, stick a zetec or an XE in it. Been done loads of times, so most of the kit is off the shelf, and there's loads of tutorials and advice readily available. Unless you've got bottomless pockets, try to aim for modest power in the region of 150 - 170 horses, that way you can use the standard(ish) running gear. When you start looking at Atlas axles and Grp4 set ups, you'd better get the cheque book out! Whatever you decide, choose something achievable. Otherwise, you'll be sitting in 5 years time, looking at a partially completed project, wishing you'd never started! However long you think It'll take, double it and add a year!!

Could well be, although I know mk1 Escorts had narrower bushes so could be for a mk1? I never knew you could buy different size bushes for the mk2 springs. Perhaps you would be better buying them from someone like Rally Design or Burtons, someone who specialises in Ford stuff, that way you can actually speak to someone who understands.

Not even sure it's possible to run a choke with DCOEs? I was the same as you guys, 3 slow pumps of the throttle and it would fire no problem.

Well done! It's nice to get a bit of recognition for all the hard work. Will get a better look at it when I buy the mag, but it looks ace in the photo!

Give R.A.C.E a phone, they supply shafts for the Atlas which are the dogs danglies!! I assume they'll supply them for the English too. Try keeping your eyes peeled for a used straight cut 4 speed box, they don't go for huge money, around £500 will get you one. As for the diff, I've had a 3.79 with a 5 speed which was superb as an allrounder, and more recently a 4.1 with the 4 speed which was amazing for the B roads and traffic light GPs, but it was a right royal pain in the ass on the Motorways, anything above 50-60 mph and it was screaming it's tits off. I think a 3.9 with the 4 speed, or a 4.1 with the 5 speed would be a good compromise.

Get yourself a vernier caliper, and simply measure the thickness of the anti roll bar anywhere along its straight length, and measure the holes in the leaf spring for the bush size. Is it mk1 or mk2? Think they had different sized spring bushes iirc.

My engine builder always used Rock oil, couldn't tell you what it was, or what viscosity, but this stuff was like golden syrup. Took ages to fill up after a change coz it was so thick! The upside was it never really left the top end completely, and the cam was always nice and coated, also had fantastic oil pressure.

Be cautious, blasting can be very damaging. Make sure that the operator has experience with old cars, not just industrial stuff. The heat generated can distort panels into all kinds of shapes, not to mention making a previously solid panel extremely thin. Dipping is the way to go, but it takes no prisoners, you may not like what you get back!

Spot on, the pads are the most important component. Far too many people dive in and buy Wilwood calipers without fully exploring the potential of their current system. The princess calipers are more than able, and yes they are heavier, but stronger with it. We're not driving fully spaceframed, kevlar panelled race cars, so who cares if the calipers are a couple of Kgs heavier, I'm more interested in the ability to stop! If i went on a diet, i'd probably be able to lose the equivalent of fitting carbon panels!! You did it right, saved up and bought a set of APs.......... Proper brakes!.

Totally agree. Too many people get lured in by Wilwood 4 pots, the pistons are tiny in comparison to the M16s. Best upgrade I ever made pound for pound was a set of Ferrodo DS2500. With a good set of discs those pads stopped on a dime.

Princess calipers are a good upgrade, but they're getting quite scarce now, and the value is creeping up. The LDV Convoy van used a similar caliper, but i've never been able to compare them side by side.

What we seem to forget too readily (myself included), is that originally, the mk2 RS2000 alloys were finished in Dove grey, not black. Admittedly, they look better in black, but when was the last time you saw an RS with the correct colour alloys? It's frowned upon to use Capri 4 spokes, but it's accepted to paint the genuine wheel the wrong colour? You're getting confused on the strength point, Ford released a GRP1 version of the RS wheel, which looked like a Capri wheel but the spokes were mega deep for strength.

Virtually no one outside the old Ford scene will even realise there is such a thing as a Capri 4 spoke, as far as they're concerned they're RS 4 spokes. If you like them keep them, but don't spend a fortune getting them diamond cut or anything. If they are matching dates then maybe some of the Capri show n shine guys might be interested in them though.

Loads of options, depending on budget. Decent discs and pads is a cheap and effective upgrade, vented next, then 4 pot conversion. Alternatively have a look at Caprisport kits, they're great value if you can source your own calipers etc. I've fitted their 280mm kit and sierra calipers/discs on the rear. Not used them yet, but if it's good enough to stop a Cossie, then it'll be fine for me. Really depends on what you plan on using them for, and how much pennies you want to throw at it.

Plenty of guys running English axles and Type 9 with cossie conversions, it's all about how much abuse they're gonna get, and ultimately how much grip you have. Remember you've also got the 2.8 Capri Type 9 with the longer 1st gear!

Going with the 2/3 idea, you would be looking at 148lb or whatever was closest to that figure. Remember the rear is a great deal lighter than the front, and the Anglia is a great deal lighter than an Escort. Suspension is a minefield! Whatever set up is recommended may not be the best set up for you personally.

Is the general rule not that the rear should be 2/3 of the front rate? So 120lb at the rear and 180lb at the front, with the bump/rebound set to suit. Does that sound about right??

Spring rate will have a greater effect than damper settings i would've thought?

Yeah, totally agree, but was just referring to the "standard" grp4 set up, which giver greater suspension travel. A drag set up will will of-course be different, which is why I mentioned about playing with the pinion angle. In theory though if it's 4 linked, however set, it's gonna stop axle wind up, but if it binds, and doesn't allow any vertical movement, then it's gonna break traction pretty quickly.

Link bars should be parallel to each other otherwise it'll bind. You could play around with the pinion angle to improve traction when launching, but rear damping and spring rate will have most effect. When you say you're 4 linking it, don't forget the panhard rod/watts linkage to stop lateral movement of the axle.

Ask yourself if you would turn your nose up at a fully grp4 prepped car? They are as far from original as you can get, with a good number of them running vauxhall or honda power. As already mentioned, it's all about personal taste. I have a genuine RS2000, in a relatively rare colour, with factory fitted vinyl roof and many original features, but that didn't stop me stripping it out and cutting the tunnel out! That's what I wanted to do, so I did it. I enjoy the challenges that come with modifying, and the car is unique to me. I love it, others will hate it, but to be honest, I couldn't care less! You build it, you pay for it, and you enjoy it. The critics can go back to polishing their exhausts and checking the humidity levels in their plastic bubbles!!!!

Bet it smelled great though!! I wouldn't advise adding it to fuel, but have a search on google, loads of guys doing it! The dose is tiny in comparison to a 2 stroke mix though, so doesn't affect running, but it'll still ruin spark plugs and god knows what else!

Big power x flow. Less power than a similarly specced Pinto, but sooooooooo much lighter. Plus, you can tell your mates it's an 8v BDA!!!!!!!!.